Iraq warmed up for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup with a 1-1 draw against Poland in a friendly international match here on Tuesday.

In their final match before tackling hosts South Africa in the tournament opener this Sunday, coach Bora Milutinovic s side were disappointed after Mahdi Kareem s second-half strike was cancelled out by Roger Guerreiro.

A small stadium in the heart of the Cape Flats in the south-west city was an odd setting for a match between two nations with few links to South Africa, and an attritional first half provided few chances.

Around 2,000 spectators turned up, with a number of Polish and Iraqi flags fluttering, but they witnessed a quiet opening 45 minutes as neither side could register a shot on target.

Both coaches made many …

(GSM) Vicente Del Bosque has extended his contract with the Spanish Football Federation with two years. The 59-year-old national coach will be at the helm until the European Championships of 2012 in Ukraine and Poland.

The board have decided that we have to continue with Del Bosque for two more years whatever happens at the World Cup of next summer, said Angel Maria Villar, chairman of the Spanish Football Federation. We have qualified for the WC finals in South Africa. That fact on his own should be enough to extend Del Bosque s contract.

Del Bosque has an excellent record with Spain. With the former Real Madrid boss in charge, La Furia Roja won 21 times in 22 matches. Del Bosque succeeded Luis Aragones following Spain s Euro 2008 triumph.

Spain are one of t…

Sky Bet Championship side Leeds United F.C. have completed the signing of Sunderland winger Will Buckley on an emergency loan deal until 2 January 2016.

Buckley, who joined Sunderland from Brighton Hove Albion in a deal believed to be worth £2.5 million in the summer of 2014, trained with Leeds this week and was able to complete the full 90 minutes in Saturday s 2-0 defeat to Birmingham City at Elland Road.

I wanted to go out and get some games at a big club and Leeds was the perfect opportunity for me to do that, Buckley told the club s official website.

There was interest in the summer but after the transfer window closed Leeds were still there and they showed they were keen to get me.

I was keen to come here and eventually it got sorte…

AC Milan playmaker Giacomo Bonaventura has delivered his verdict on the Mauro Icardi saga by saying he would not write a book until he has won some silverware.

While Milan are flying high under Vincenzo Montella, city rivals Inter have been involved in an unwanted controversy surrounding their captain s autobiography while they struggle for results under Frank de Boer.

Icardi infuriated Inter s Curva Nord ultras after claiming in his book that he made himself a hero among his team-mates by standing up to one of the group s leaders after a 3-1 defeat to Sassuolo in 2014-15.

Curva Nord declared Icardi to be finished as an Inter player and the striker was confronted by banners criticising him during the Cagliari match, where his missed penalty was cheered by section…

Atletico Madrid are interested in signing Romelu Lukaku in the summer transfer window, according to . The Belgian star is on loan at Inter Milan from Chelsea until the end of the season, and former La Liga champions Atletico are keen on securing the services of the former Manchester United striker in the summer transfer window.

Lukaku has made 14 starts and six substitute appearances in Serie A for Inter so far this season, scoring five goals and providing five assists in the process. The 29-year-old striker has also made three substitute appearances in the UEFA Champions League, scoring three goals in the process.

Atletico are third in the La Liga table at the moment with 66 points from 32 matches, two points behind second-placed and defending champions Real Madrid, wh…

Having regretted not signing an out-and-out striker to replace Robert Lewandowski last summer, Bayern Munich are set to do what it takes to rectify that mistake. They ve been linked strongly with Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane, but according to Fabrizio Romano, they ve now pretty much moved on from the England captain and put Eintracht Frankfurt s Randal Kolo Muani at the top of their shopping list.

The 24-year-old is first and foremost a central attacker, a No. 9, which is obviously what Bayern want, but he s also quite capable of attacking from either flank. Having gone through the youth ranks at Nantes, he spent a year on loan at Boulogne. Eintracht signed him last summer on a free transfer, and since then, he s gone on to score 21 goals and produce 15 assists in 41 games…

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has revealed that he is not worried about his job, despite his team being nine points behind league leaders Chelsea

Manchester City suffered a 2-1 defeat at midtable Crystal Palace on Monday night which could prove a defining moment in their season and this seasons Premier League title race.

The defeat could also prove a defining moment in the Manchester City career of Chilean boss Manuel Pellegrini.

Unconcerned

However, the experience former-Real Madrid boss has admitted that he is not worried about his position.

After the defeat at Selhurst Park, Pellegrini told Sky Sports: I m not concerned about my job. That is one thing I am never concerned with.

I never have fear about it, I do my work, I m ve…

Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker hopes Jurgen Klopp will test himself on foreign shores after leaving Borussia Dortmund.

Klopp, who has previously been linked with Arsenal and Manchester United, announced his Dortmund contract would be cancelled at the end of the season, sparking talk of another Premier League move this time to Manchester City.

Retired Germany international Mertesacker, who racked up 104 caps, feels the Bundesliga s loss will be the gain for wherever the two-time German football manager of the year ends up.

Mertesacker also declared his hope more German tacticians move abroad, with only Felix Magath Fulham s manager for 12 doomed top-flight matches in 2014 previously flying the flag in the Premier League.

It s obviously sad news for Boru…

Virgil van Dijk is set to remain with Liverpool until the end of 2025.

Netherlands international Van Dijk, 28, headed to Anfield from Southampton for a reported £75million in January 2018, signing a deal until 2023.

But the superstar centre-back is rumoured to be ready to recommit to the reigning European champions.

TOP STORY – VAN DIJK AGREES SIX-YEAR LIVERPOOL DEAL

Van Dijk has agreed a new contract with Liverpool, according to the Mirror.

The defender will earn close to £200,000 per week with his new deal, up from his current £125,000 per week wages, the report says.

It comes just a month after Van Dijk lost his title as the world s most expensive defender when Manchester United signed Harry Maguire from Leicester City f…

Virgil van Dijk has a claim of being the best centre-back in Premier League history, according to former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany.

Van Dijk was named UEFA Men s Player of the Year last month and the Liverpool defender is firmly in Ballon d Or contention after inspiring Jurgen Klopp s team to Champions League glory last season.

Liverpool and Van Dijk missed out to City by a point in an unrelenting Premier League title race in 2018-19 that ended with Kompany lifting the trophy for the fourth time in his career.

Now in the early stages of his tenure as player-manager at Anderlecht, Kompany is back in Manchester for his testimonial at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday – a match where the proceeds will go to his Tackle4MCR charity that aims to address t…